The weather was eI©udy,^ncUthe wind changeable still aboutJ:fi|ndfet,
when it- fettled in the north. ;Itdroveback the ice which wasi now very
much broken along-the {fibre, and covered oMririetfe One ©fithe fiua*eiis
who had beenjat the Slave River the preceding evening, returned with
three beavers and fourteen geefe; I He was 'nteompamdiib by three
familiesof Indians, who-left Athabafca the fame day as myfdlf: they did
not bring me any fowl; and they pleaded in.excufe, that they had travelled'with
fo much-expedition, as to -prevent them from procuring fuf-
ficient provifions for therafelves. By; a: meridian line,.I found the variation
of the compafs to be about twenty degrees eaft.
Sunday »4. The weather was clear and the wind remained in-the. fame quarter.
The ice was much broken, and driven to the fide o f thedake* fo that we
were apprehenfive for the lofs o f our nets, as they could notj at prefent,
be extricated. At fun-fet there was an appearance of a violent guff o f
wind from the fouthward, as the Iky becameon a fudden, in that quarter,
of a very dulky blue colour, and the lightning was very frequent. But
inftead of wind there came on a very heavy rain, which promifed to
diminilh the quantity o f broken ice.
Monday 15. In the morning, the bay Hill continued to be fo/full o f ice* that we could
not get at our nets. About noon, the wind veered to the Weftward, and
not only uncovered the nets, but cleared a palfage to the oppofite iflands.
When we railed the nets we found them very much Shattered,/and but
lew filh taken. We-now (truck our tents, and embarked at furnfet,
when we made the traverfe, which was about eight miles North-Eaft by
North in about two hours. At half pall: eleven P. M. we landed on a
fmall
.Jutlfe.
Saturday 13.
fmall iflandand proceeded tiq gum the canoe. At this time the atmofphere
to'admit o f reading.Or writing without the: ajd of
a rt.ifio.ialj.1 ight. We had not feen a ltar fince the feqo^ij day after We left
Athabafca. About twelve o’clock,/the ,mp,Qn.mude its appearance above
the.tops of the:trees* th&;iowecihorn being in a Hate of ecliple* which
continued fqr aboutsffix minutes,-fin' , a ^ p u d | f f | f $.■
, I took,foundings three^paes in the c^uffe of the travejfe, when ! found
fix fatbdms Watety with a fnuddy bottom. .
. We were prevented from embarking this- morning by a vpry ftrong Tuefday 16.
wind .from the -North, and the vaft quantity of floating, iqe.. Some trout .
were caught with the; hook and, line, but the net was not fo fuccelsful.
I had-an/ob^rvation which^gavej6i. 2,8.-North latitude. | ;
The wind becoming moderate, we embarked about one, taking a
North-Weft • courfe, through iflands of ten miles, in which we took in
a confiderable quantity? to^; water. After making feveral tra v e ls , we
landed at five P. M. and haying pitched our .tents* the hooks, lines, and
nets, were*immediately fet. During the courfe of the day there was
occafional thunder.; ip*
We proceeded, and taking up our nets as we pafled, we found no Wednef. 17.
more than feventeen filh, and were flopped within a mile by fhe ice.
The Indians,<|»dw^ver»lfeQ^^^ a/Pplbl«^fiere ?°ur fiQiesy
was? very fuccefiful. • They) proceededMfP'on an; hunting party, as well
as to: difeoyer a palfage among,- the iflands;; but at three; ip, the^after-
C 2
*7®9* June.
noon